24 July 2009

7 Quick Takes on Friday -- the overhaul version

This is the summer of overhaul. Right now we are overhauling...


1. Our new house. Did I ever mention here that we bought it? The new foundation was finished last week. Next is a roof and then heating/ cooling -- maybe geothermal. And Dennis has to put in a new kitchen and two baths. And then rewire. And then redo all of the walls and floors. And then maybe we can move in. Maybe.


2. Eating. I've realized that the gestational diabetes that has disappeared twice post-partum has remained this time. It means a lot of changes in what, how, and when I eat.


3. Church. We've been visiting around this summer and have a much larger view of the Body of Christ. It's a good thing.


4. Bedtimes. I put a chair in the hallway and have been reading to the kids a lot of evenings. It's been lots of fun to read childhood stories out loud and the kids are slightly more eager to go to bed.


5. Breakfasts. It's embarrassing that this has been an issue, but post-Emmeliese it has been hard to all get to the table together in the morning. But the kids and I are back to eating breakfast together and food is preceded by reading from the Psalms, a song or two, and praying for our day. Afterwards, we've been doing Bible study together. I get out mine and they get out theirs and sit at the table. They look at their Bibles and draw pictures and I look at mine and write, all the while listening to some very loud hymns sung by the Cambridge Singers. It's been very, very good for us.


6. My spirit. I feel like we are at a bend in the spiritual river we've been riding the last year or so. There's peace here and it's a wonderful thing.


AND -- I started writing this in the morning -- and the rest of the day was... not as expected, so...


7. Stewardship. Dennis lost his job about noon today. I suppose it is more amazing that, as an engineer in manufacturing, he still had a job and had been relatively untouched by the economic downturn before this moment, than the fact that he lost his job today. He is upset, of course, but we've known this was a possibility for a long time and are fairly well-prepared. Tonight, Dennis and I went out to the lake while his mom watched the kids, and we talked about how many opportunities are present because of this job loss, chief amongst them the ability for him to do a lot of work on the house. And we have the chance to be even better stewards of all our gifts, which, as we realized again tonight, are abundant, indeed. And we both know that God is bigger than Dennis' employment or this recession or any worries we might have. We'll be ok. In the meantime, we continue to overhaul! :)


For more quick takes, see Jen's.

1 comment:

Sarah S-D said...

oh, April... that's a lot... we've been overhauling too... though in some ways less dramatically... but as you probably know kev has been more or less without work for the last seven months. we were not really prepared for this, but we have become MUCH better stewards... and we're finding a lot of grace in this time. may the same be true for your household. and may doors open so that both of our husbands can find meaningful and life-giving employment consistent with their vocations.